1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for optimally controlling the carbonation of food. More particularly, this invention efficiently and effectively controls the exposure of fruits or vegetables to carbon dioxide gas, resulting in the enhanced flavor of the fruits or vegetables.
2. Description of Related Art
The carbonation of beverages, like soft drinks and juices, has been around for centuries. Yet, even today, there is an endless thirst for their enhanced taste or “tingly fizz.” As a result of this popularity, carbonation has spread to food items and additional beverages. Milk, coffee, tea, yogurt and even breakfast cereals are now carbonated for the purpose of adding a new and exciting taste. More interestingly, carbonation has spread to fruits and vegetables. U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,573, as herein incorporated by reference, discloses a method for enhancing the flavor of fruits and vegetables by exposure to CO2 gas. Long-known nutritious snacks including, but not limited to, pears, grapes, oranges, nectarines, grapefruit, strawberries, cucumbers and tomatoes attain a new and exciting taste when exposed to CO2. These “fizzy” nutritious snacks are a healthy alternative to the carbonated drinks or juices that lack vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and provide hefty amounts of empty calories. Treating fruits and vegetables with CO2 enhances both the flavor and experience of consuming the carbonated food, rendering healthy food more appealing to consumers.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,573, enhancing the flavor of fruits and vegetables through exposure to CO2 gas can be achieved by storing the produce in a cooler or other container packed with frozen CO2 or “dry ice.” (A strongly carbonated water environment can also be used to expose the food item to CO2.) The produce remains in the cooler or other container for approximately several hours, the amount of time varying depending on the specific type of fruit or vegetable and whether the fruit or vegetable is fresh or preserved in some other way. The produce is separated from the dry ice typically by a non-heat conductive barrier to prevent freezing. Once in the closed environment, the CO2 will begin to sublimate and create a cold and heavy CO2 atmosphere. The food item placed in the closed CO2-rich environment will, over time, take up enough CO2 within its tissue to provide the fruit or vegetable with an effervescent character. The effect of CO2 exposure on fruits and vegetables can be reproduced in 2-12 hours, by storing fresh fruit in a cooler or other container with 5-10 pounds of dry ice. When removed from the cooler or other container, the fruits and vegetables are covered with a material capable of inhibiting the loss of CO2, such as a material that is easily removable or edible. The effect of the CO2 exposure remains in the produce for some time after removing the produce from the cooler or other container.
Storing produce in a cooler or other container packed with dry ice and using only a non-heat conductive barrier to separate the produce from the dry ice, however, is problematic in that the carbonation is not always consistent. The user has to choose the duration the fruits or vegetables remain in the cooler or other container. If the user leaves the fruits or vegetables in the cooler or other container too long, deterioration of the fruits and vegetables may occur due to physiological changes caused by the high CO2 level or low oxygen level inside the fruit and vegetables. However, if the user does not leave the fruits or vegetables in the cooler or other container long enough, a strong “fizz” will not be achieved. The user also has to choose an appropriate amount of dry ice to be placed in the cooler or other container corresponding to the volume of space inside the cooler or other container. If the amount of dry ice is inappropriate, too little or too much pressure or too high or too low of a temperature can result. Extreme pressure sealed within the cooler or other container can lead to an explosion. On the other hand, if the pressure is too low within the cooler or other container, a strong fizz may not be produced. Too low a temperature can result in the freezing of the fruits or vegetables, while too high a temperature may not produce a strong fizz or desired taste. Furthermore, the non-heat conductive barrier lacks apertures that allow for the even distribution of CO2 into the area where the fruits and vegetables are stored. If the fruits or vegetables are not adequately separated from the dry ice by the non-heat conductive barrier, freezing can easily occur.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,573 also discloses that a 20-pound CO2 tank and a regulator can be used to pump CO2 into a closed container to carbonate fruits and vegetables, providing them with an effervescent quality. It is disclosed that the produce remains in the closed container for a varying amount of time depending on the specific type of fruit or vegetable, the temperature of the surrounding environment and the carbonation pressure. Also, an apparatus has been manufactured where the 20-pound CO2 tank, having a regulator, pumps CO2 into a closed container that is similar in shape and size to the CO2 tank. The CO2 is preferably pumped into the closed container through several conduits. However, using the apparatus as disclosed in the above-mentioned patent, and the manufactured apparatus, can be dangerous and entails awkward equipment that is inconvenient and burdensome. The closed container that holds the fruits and vegetables to be carbonated lacks a pressure relief device, which is needed to release excess CO2 pressure, preventing an explosion caused by extreme pressure sealed within the closed container. Furthermore, keeping the container cool to optimize the carbonation of fruits or vegetables is problematic. The container does not have its own temperature control source and will not fit into standard refrigerators. Yet again, the carbonation of the fruits or vegetables is not always consistent. The user has to determine the appropriate amount of CO2 to release into the closed container depending on the type of fruit or vegetable involved, and the user has to determine the amount of time needed for the particular fruit or vegetable to acquire a favorable effervescent flavor. Determining these amounts may not always provide an efficient and effective way to carbonate fruits or vegetables.
A carbonation system specifically designed for fruits and vegetables is therefore needed that achieves optimal or desired carbonation levels regardless of the type of produce. The carbonation system needs to be able to effectively and efficiently control the environment within a sealable enclosure and be able to increase or decrease the amount of CO2 that flows into or out of the sealable enclosure. The carbonation system needs to be easy to maintain, safe, convenient, compact and ideal for private and commercial use in places that would extend from restaurants, to kiosks, to grocers, to homes, to the outdoors. These and other advantages are provided by the invention disclosed below.